


Movie Night

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, Date Night, F/M, movies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 17:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10904007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: The cinematic Masters of Horror provide date night and more for Belle and Rumple





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> a monthy rumbelleing prompt - non-smut Movie Night

Most families had started a movie night after the Second Curse, there was a desire to actually see the films they had dim false memories of watching. There was nothing in the Enchanted Forest that compared to the magic of the silver screen, so family and friends squeezed into living rooms so they could all watch the same film. That only worked for so long before Granny offered the diner as a venue. A huge portion of the town gathered together so they would all have the same film to talk about over the coming week, but Movie Night rapidly grew too large for Granny’s. For a while there had been some talk about opening a cinema in the old cannery the idea hadn’t really taken off. Instead Henry had suggested that they set up a Drive In on one of the large fields near the magic bean crops. Mother Superior objected, suggesting that such entertainments had a terrible influence on the moral stability of the town, but even Snow had laughed at that, so the plan when ahead.

Rumple had been ambivalent towards the project, but that had changed when Henry approached him and asked him to invest. The lad had taken the time to put together a well thought out presentation proving to his grandfather that he had a great grasp of business, even if his math was a little shaky in places. Unlike Regina and Emma Rumple didn’t even consider suggesting that he just magic up a Drive In, he could tell that Henry wanted to do this with his own sweat. As Henry had said being the Author paid nothing, he needed a job and the Drive In would provide exactly that. Rumple was proud of his grandson for wanting to do this the slow, but easier way, (the price of magic was never the easy way for something this big). 

There were a few bumps along the way, but with Violet’s support Henry got to grips with the math behind a budget. Rumple didn’t even try to hide the tears of joy that rose to his eyes when Henry went toe to toe with the contractors and quoted the penalty clauses for delays that they were trying to ignore. The men back off and the story quickly ran around town about how Henry had his paternal grandfather’s skill with contracts. 

Of course when the Charming clan found out how Henry was funding the project Rumple had to listen to the usual hollow threats about what would happen to him if he screwed his grandson on this deal. Belle had become irate on his behalf over that and chastised the heroes so thoroughly that they had offered him a shame-faced apology, although secretly Rumple had been a little pleased that his beastly reputation had survived his transition to light magic.

Henry had considered holding a public vote to decide on the inaugural movie, but the really was only one choice, and since both of his moms and most of his family agreed with him he went with his favourite.

On opening night Rumple discovered a few important things. The first was that Henry had a brilliant eye for detail and business. It wasn’t just the happy carnival atmosphere he created that appeared effortless, but the fact that people were pre-booking tickets for up-coming films that assured the success. The second was that Violet was worth more than her weight in gold, and if Henry didn’t know how lucky he was to have her at his side Rumple would shake it into him later. Watching Violet keep Henry sane during the night Rumple saw many similarities between her and Belle; they were both strong, level headed women who could balance the family tendency for the dramatic with nothing more than a raised eyebrow.

Star Wars, (because what else would Henry have picked for his debut film?), looked amazing on the big screen; and watching a film this way was a million times better than sitting in a cinema for Rumple. Snuggled with Belle in the caddy the annoying sounds of other people whispering, or slurping, or crunching couldn’t distract him from the film, and the privacy meant that Belle was able to thoroughly distract him during the trailers in a way that was hardly appropriate for the rating of the film.

Over the next few months the caddy became a regular feature at the Drive In. Rumple still preferred to watch his Spaghetti Westerns at home in private, (a guilty pleasure from the days of the First Curse that he’d not been able to shake), but Belle had developed a fondness for classic horror and sci-fi B-movies. Henry made sure that the schedule offered plenty of both, so Friday night became Drive In night for the Golds. 

Gideon would join them for the science-fiction and they would sit out on lawn chairs in front of the car, laughing together as a family at the corny dialogue and low budget effects. Films like ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’ and ‘It Came from Mars’ led to in depth discussions about the Land without Magic’s view of aliens. Gideon, who hadn’t the benefit of pop culture knowledge via a curse, was intrigued by the whole concept of extra-terrestrials; lights in the sky in the Enchanted Forest and other magical realms tended to be fairies not UFOs. It wasn’t just their family that talked about little green men, as the end credits rolled other people would drift over to the car and join in. Granny turned out to be quite the conspiracy nut, and between them Archie and Bashful had read a huge amount of pulp sci-fi. 

When it came to the classic horror films, particularly ones staring Karloff, Lugosi, Cushing or Lee, Gideon would join his friends and leave his parents to the privacy of the caddy. Whispers began around town at Belle’s fascination with the grand masters of horror. The general feeling was unsurprised, after all Belle had a track record of being attracted to the darker side of life, some were more uncharitable about it, but people tended to take what the Blue Fairy said with a pinch of salt these days.

Now Rumple was no longer the Dark One many were brave enough to whisper behind their hands about what was going on in the caddy during the films, after all everyone had heard the stories of the sort of thing the Charmings walked in on when they ignored the closed sign on the pawnshop door. It wasn’t too much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that Belle had a monster fetish; she had fallen in love with Rumple when he was glittery and scaly.

As usual with these things the truth was less salacious than peoples’ lurid imaginings. Yes, Rumple and Belle were snuggled close together during the films, but apart from the odd chaste kiss in the quieter moments, their attention was focused on the screen. The discussions after these films were of a very different emotional flavour than the light hearted conversations after the sci-fi movies. Through the classic monsters on screen Belle had found a way to get Rumple to open up about his feelings and experiences as the Dark One. Talking about the movie monsters gave Rumple distance and a chance to objectively consider his own actions throughout his long life, instead of falling back in to his old pattern of self-loathing and doubt. It also gave Belle the chance to talk about the reaction to the monster without Rumple feeling attacked. The catharsis wasn’t always the most pleasant experience, but it was effective. The cracks that miscommunication, deceit and judgement had formed in their relationship were healed by empathy, understanding and forgiveness. 

Date Night was a way for couples to keep their relationship strong, but Friday Nights at the Drive In were so much more for Belle and Rumple; bathed in the light of the silver screen they healed the wounds of the past and turned their True Love into an indestructible force that would stand the test of time as well as any macabre tale of horror from the studios of Universal or Hammer.


End file.
